New contents for Resource Area 3: The Italian and Slovenian case stories present different piloting activities

07-November-2006

[ arenas for piloting , project planning , workplace learning ]
In a previous posting I have presented briefly my idea on five "Resource Areas" as the content areas for WLP Web (and as resources to be addressed selectively in the WLP Manual and in the WLP Course). This posting updates the prior blog entry on "Resource Area 3 - The case stories" with the Italian and Slovenian Case Stories.
In the previous posting I have presented my thoughts on the need to upgrade the status of the 'case stories' as a specific resource area that consists of simple power point presentations. The aim of these presentations is to make the different experiences and observations in diverse country contexts to some extent comparable with each other.

So far it has been difficult to proceed with this idea because there has been no mutual agreement to what extent the case stories should be worked into a common format an to what extent they should be left as free narratives.

On the other hand there has been the issue how to cover very dfferent aspects of piloting with one single 'case story'. In fact, our experience has shown us that we need to illustrate our developmental processes from different angles to make them more accessible for diacussion and transfer-promoting initiatives.

From this perspective the attached presentations provide mutually complementing angles to the Italian and Slovenian piloting activities:

  • Regarding the Italian case stories the first presentation focuses on the phases of the community-building initiative and on the specific process dynamics that have characterised the piloting. The second presentation focuses on the role of 'local' facilitation (provided by Training 2000) and on the role of external support (provided by the WLP project).
  • Regarding the Slovenian case stories the first presentation focuses on the 'micro-piloting' initiatives that have been taken in the VET college itself (the SCV) in order improve its capability to support workplace learning. The second presentation focuses on the initiatives that involve regional enterprises into active cooperation with the VET college (SCV).

I believe that these examples make it more transparent what can be achieved with a resource area that provides a critical mass of such case stories with a relative transparent structure. However, these examples also demonstrate the limits of presentations with a common format. Therefore, I would assume that the French and UK case stories could be best available as free narratives. In the German cases (under construction) there is a point in using the common format.

Pekka Kämäräinen

Pekka Kämäräinen; 07-November-2006 12:11:29 forum (0)

New contents for Resource Area 1: The "Workshop facilitators' tools" as bridging tools after the LPA analyses

07-November-2006

[ arenas for piloting , knowledge sharing , workplace learning ]
In a previous posting I have presented briefly my idea on five "Resource Areas" as the content areas for WLP Web (and as resources to be addressed selectively in the WLP Manual and in the WLP Course). This posting updates the prior blog entry with a revised and completed set of "Workshop facilitator's tools".
In the evolution of the WLP project history it has become clear that there has been a conceptual hurdle how to proceed after the basic analyses that were undertaken in the beginning phase. The project proceeded for some time with a coherent format via the construction of the national maps and via the LPA-analyses (or the alternative LAR-analyses). Then, after the LPA-analyses (or LAR-analyses) there was a difficult period how to find the ways further. As we remember, the joint discussion shifted to the theme "WLP Web" whereas the partners had to find their ways forward with a manageable 'piloting agenda'.

The "Workshop facilitators' tools" have been designed as simple tools to address some key questions that are important for the primary orientation of the potential partners:

  • Tool 1 focuses of different options for partnership cooperation.
  • Tool 2 focuses on different options for networked learning.
  • Tool 3 focuses on different steps to be taken as immediate developmental measures.

The tools refer to the different piloting/networking approaches (and the related organisational measures) that have been put into practice in some of the national activities within the WLP project.

From this perspective I believe that the Workshop facilitators' tools serve their purpose as bridging contributions between the LPA/LAR-analyses.

Pekka Kämäräinen



Pekka Kämäräinen; 07-November-2006 10:59:02 forum (0)

Building the WLP Resource Area 3: WLP case stories

19-October-2006

[ arenas for piloting , knowledge sharing , workplace learning ]
The WLP project has already at its early stage realised that good stories (with a flavour of experience) teach you more than a number of well-thought studies. Yet, in the context of workplace learning, there is a risk that such stories remain isolated and do not communicate with each other. This has given rise to thoughts how to develop the case stories as contrinutions to a common knowledge base.
The WLP project has already in the original work programme outlined the importance of 'case stories' parallel to other country-specific reporting. However, the role of 'case stories' was linked to the outcomes of the Learning Potential Analysis and to the expectation on subsequent partnership development.

In the course of the project history it became clear that the national partners have different possibilities to promote and/or analyse actual cases in which piloting with partnership-based cooperation is central. Therefore, it became even more important to find ways to present the experiences of the partners as contributions to a common European knowledge base.

From this perspective the case stories that are brought together by this resource area ave different features and pass different messages. Some of the case stories have been shaped with a common format to promote shared learning across different countries. Some have been presented as free narratives to emphasise the specific messages arising from the case.

The German case stories provide insights into the evolution of partnership cooperation from earlier pilot projects to present date.
The Italian case stories provide insights into ongoing piloting with a learning community and into the role of facilitators in such piloting.
The Slovenian case stories provide insights into local micro-piloting in a regional training centre and its WLP-related development activities.
The French case stories provide insights into partnership-oriented cooperation from the perspective of a traditional enterprise and from the perspective of a trans-national networked enterprise.
The Estonian case stories provide insights into different starting positions for entering partnership cooperation in a regional context.
The UK case stories provide insights into partnership cooperation in industrial networks based on supply chains (and supported by training providers).

As such the case stories provide a certain degree of illustration that can be greatly enhanced by multimedia resources.

Pekka Kämäräinen



Pekka Kämäräinen; 19-October-2006 20:46:32 forum (0)